First off, I have to say that it feels good to finally sit down and blog a bit. It has been as while, mainly due to the holiday season and the fact that Crystal and I were working so diligently to move into our new house. All the while, I have been storing up a good list of different blog ideas that came to me, which means, hopefully, I will have a plethora of interesting topics to write about in the coming weeks. Fun stuff.
Anyway, sometime about mid-last year (or was it longer?), I had the pleasure of going camping w/ a large group of my friends, which included Gabe. One of the evenings, as we were sitting around the campfire, the conversation turned to different books to read and favorite authors. One of the books that Gabe strongly recommended was Enders Game by Orison Scott Card. He spoke quite highly of the book, although, now, I can’t recall a single thing that he said about it, :) . Anyway, as I was perusing the bookstore, I ran across the book and decided to add it to my to-read queue.
About 3 – 4 months later, I finally got around to reading the book and actually consumed it in less than a week. Review is as follows: (Any spoilers will be noted)
The Good
This book was excellent. It flowed very well and was a very simple read. The author did not try to employ any sort of complex writing techniques (which often detracts from the overall read) but rather told the story in a moderate-paced narrative that was enjoyable and relaxing.
At first, I was a little concerned, since this is a Science Fiction / Alternative history (future?) novel. Thankfully, the author did not engage in any long descriptive space wars, overly complex tactical layouts, or even crazy futuristic names that looked like a vowel-heavy regurgitation of alphabet soup. The author made his points, carried on the story, and engaged the reader.
Finally, this book could be considered more as a social / political commentary than a simple science fiction. Often times, the author would lead me to starting making parallels w/ my own place in the word as it compared to the plights and struggles of poor Ender. I sincerely enjoyed the amount of self-reflection that this book put me though.
The Bad
Although I greatly appreciated this book, there were a few things that drove me crazy. First off, I always get aggravated by books heroes that do not have to struggle for their gifts. Although Ender had quite a few trials and tribulations to face down, the battle for self-improvement was not among them. He was a wonder child and was always to accomplish his ends due to this God-given abilities rather than earning them himself. My major beef with this kind of idea / attitude is that very few things in life are freely given or come to you without work. If you have something you want, usually you have to work for it, strive for it, and, in many cases, build it piece by piece from the very substance of your dreams.
Finally, the other part that drove me crazy was the fact that the book was so focused on Ender. Card introduced other characters (such as Peter and Valentine), but really did not spend much time w/ them. I feel that a more complete telling of their stories / struggles would have been a very nice addition to the book.
[Spoiler Alert - So far I have been very careful not to reveal too much of the story. At this point, I am assuming that you have read the story or just don’t care to spoil it (Dylan).]
Theme / Ideas
Throughout the book, there were several themes that struck me as very provocative. Although many of them are old hats, I really appreciated the new outlook in which they were provided.
You vs the Faceless Enemy
In the book, the Bugger race was a faceless enemy fought many many years ago. In the current time, there was built up prejudice against them via the media, the government, and simple conventional wisdom. The hatred of these creatures was so intense that it even permeated simple childhood games. Interestingly enough, Ender spent much of his time wondering why this was the case. He would often ask “Why did they attack” “Where are they now” and “Why are we fighting this war.” Although this is a theme that has been played throughout history (ie: slavery, the Red Scare, etc.), it is a clear and evident warning set forth by the author and left me wondering if there were aspects of accepted culture in my life that I need to second-guess and perhaps consider from a different angle. Examples of this for our day would be social gaps, Mac users, generation gaps, and vegans :).
It is very easy to make assumptions or to simply accept what is presented without question. Thinking for yourself is something that is very difficult, especially in an age in which information (and opinions) are so readily available. We should always strive to look beyond what is presented to us, but it is very difficult in such an integrated society. People are much too used to asking for an answer rather than searching for it themselves.
Us vs Them
In accompaniment w/ the previous thought, Ender was asked to fight a war solely on the thought that, “If we don’t kill them first, they will kill us.” The world is very rarely black and white, yet we are often force to make decisions because we think (or are told to think) in such a way. Although it is a known logical fallacy, I think most people fall victim to this kind of thinking because it is an easy way to think (and b/c we are egocentric). In the corporate world (and political I would imagine), this kind of mind set is usually one of the largest barriers to being productive, being a leading cause to the whole red tape thing.
Phrases such as “looks outside the box” or “problem solver” often describe those persons who are able to avoid this failing. In Ender’s case, he proved himself to be this kind of person after solving the puzzle of the giant. He was able to look beyond the black or white offered him and found the other option(s).
Success vs Social
One final theme that struck a nerve for me was a constant struggle for poor Ender. Throughout the book, Ender was isolated, shunned, and forced to be independent in order that he reach his ‘full potential'.’ Throughout it all, Ender proved to be a prodigy and wonder, but, according to the author, this was only achieved by his willingness to sacrifice the social pleasures of life: love, friendship, and basic human interaction. Although I do agree that setting oneself apart from the world might make them more productive, I really don’t want to believe that isolation is the key to success (‘want’ being the operative word). How does social interactions affect our overall success (assuming success is measured by personal accomplishments / achievements)? Is it a barrier to the stellar mind?
In conclusion, I have to say that I enjoyed the book both for the simple act of reading as well as the amount that it made me sit back and reflect upon my life. Even though the themes were simple and well known, I found this book to be enlightening as I felt that my struggles were very similar to those of Ender (on a much different level, of course). The key point for me was that it is very easy to grow complacent and accept a pattern of life rather than observing all its possibilities and glory.
Thanks for the suggestion, Gabe. Now its time to start on Dune!